Improvement in machine for braiding wfllp-lashes



tait@ tetes i, ysttut fitte.'

PHINEAS Lr SLAYTON, OF NEWY-GRK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ALMETREED, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 3,131, dated January 7, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINE ros EEAIDING WHIP-Essens'.

TO ALL WIIOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, PRIN-EAS L. SLAYTON, ofthe city, county, and Stateof New York, have. invented a. new' and useful Improvement in Machinefor BraidingNVhp-Lashes; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and `exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-`Figure I represents a vertical sectional view through the centre of themachine..

Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, represent details of different parts.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

'I This invention relates to an improved machine for braidingwhip-lashes of any required number ol strands, audit consists in astationary hollow sphere, open at top and bottom, and supported betweentoplandbottom plates by standards, which hollow sphere is out up intosegmental pieces or sections with' channels or open passages betweenthem, t serve as guide-ways for a series of fingers that are movedaround-tio lay the strands by means of segments of an external sphere orshell, which revolve on their own independent axes on opposite sides ofthe internal sphere in pairs opposite to each other, as hereinafter moreparticularly described.

The frame of the machine is formed of a bed-plate, A, having fourstandards, B, at th'e'corners of'a square. A middle plate,`C, and topplate D, are secured to the standards B, and between these plates C D isfixed a hollow sphere, open at top and bottom, the shell of which isdivided into four equal oval-shaped sections E, having horizontal majoraxes, the ends of which are pointed. Between the oval sections E and theouter portions of the shell of the hollow sphere are narrow passages orguide-ways a a, intersecting each other at the points of the ovals, soas toformtwo continuons undulating channels around the hollow sphere.The sections E are firmly secured by the nuts b to short radial studs c,that aremade fast -to the standards B. 4The studs c serve as axes forfour circular disks F, g. 2,` or segments of an externa-l' sphericalshell, lying nearly upon the oval sections i The circular disks F havetoothed peripheries gearing into each other,'and they revolvesimultaneously by means ofI a driving-shaft, d, on which is the pinione, engaging the spur-wheel g, hung on the axis of one of the disks F. Acertain number of radial slots, h, is made in the segments F, which actAas `guide-wa.ys,.while the segments carry the braiding-iingers,whichingers consist each of two' long steel vspringplates z'z", the points orends of which are clamped togetherby a set-screw,j, for the purpose ofholding the strands of a whip-lash sufficiently tight to be drawnintothe braid. `Between the plates 'a spool, c, sets loosely upon theset-screw j, to carry the strands to be braided to'form a whip-lash. Theupper end of the setscrewj only is threaded just enough to take in theplate t', and set -the tension of the strand, and the lower or outer endprojects through the opposite plate z", and has a groove -turned in itwhich holds a'small slide, m, attached to a spiral spring, ml, to keepit in place. The upper end of the silde m projects through a slot in theplate 'and is held in it by an outside spring, m2. This device isprovided. for introducing'and removing the spool Ic, and winding thestrand of leather' upon it, and to secure a nice adjustment of theparts. The plates i# forming the fingers to guide the strands, areattached at their base to a curved plate,`n, tted ou the inside of. thesection E, which plate is connected by a pin, o, with a curved plate,n', itted on the outside of the section E. Between the plates a n, oneach side of the pin o, pointed guide-blocks, ss, are hung loosely onpivots s s', iig. 5, which oscillating guide-blocks are placedin thepassageso'r guide-Aways a between the sections E and the other portionsof the shell of the interior hollow'sphere, while the head of the pin ois placed in the' radial slots 'L in the disks F, passing also throughthe channels a a. The fingers all point inward, and nearly approach withtheir clamping-ends to the centre of the hollow sphere, at the upper endand mouth of a conical tube, G', fixed vertically onthevplate C, throughwhich tube the whip-lash passes when braided, as shown in fig. I.' Thelash when braided-passes down through the tube G, and winds around u.spool, H, set upon a spindle, t, that carries a worm-wheel, p, workingin a screw on a horizontal shaft, q, of a crank, q. v

When a lash is to he braided, the strands attached to a core or cordthat is fastened on the spool H, are

passed through the conical tube G, and wound around the spools 7c in thefingers. lThe pinion e being thrown into gear, the disks F revolve andcarry the iingers to the right andgleft as the plnso and theguide-blocks .s

traverse the channels a d around the' sections E, and thus lap and plaitthe strands one over the other in suca l cession, without twisting, toform a braid which passes, as fast as it is made, down through the tubeG to `find upon the spool H. The feed-motion is governed by twocone-pulleys III,` hung below in the frame, and belted to a pulley, J,on the shaft d, and also connectedV with the winding-spool H byadjustable gear-wheels r 71 r2. The belt c on the cone-pulleys isadjusted by u. nut, w, working on a screw, L, turned bya crank, L.

Having described my invention,- I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. The circular disks F, with slots h gearing into eachother to carry the braidingfiingers herein described, constructed,arranged, and operating as set forth.

2. The braiding-iingcis herein described, travelling in guide-.ways a a,with their ends pointing inward, and approaching near to the centreofthe hollow sphere herein described, all constructed, arranged, andoperating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.-

3. The oscillating guide-blocks s s, the curved plates nu', and the pino, in combination with the plates ivf',

constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as described.

` v PHINEAS L. SLAYTON.

' Witnesses:

WM. F. McNAMAR'A, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

